Is it possible to do this or is it something you either have or do not have ?

To my mind it seems like a high virtue but is it really? Are there bad side effects to being equanimous? (does it cause a dullness of perception?)

Is it possible to say that mood swings are a sign of a lack of equanimity or would it be more accurate to consider mood swings as some kind of an "external" difficulty which it is possible to suffer with equanimity?

October 9th, 2014, 12:40 AM

danhanegan

Well, I can remember myself in my teens and early twenties, when I would lose my temper with very little provocation and indulge in shoving matches and fistfights. I had a wake up moment when I realized I had nearly killed someone over relative trivia, and decided I wasn't going to lose my temper any more. I have not been entirely successful, I still occasionally get in pointless shouting matches with particularly annoying people, but I have not physically struck anyone since that day (over 30 years ago). To some degree, I think most people learn equanimity as they get older, moodiness is more the province of the young. But I do think one can make a real change in their pattern of behavior if they are sufficiently determined to do so.

October 9th, 2014, 12:59 AM

Robittybob1

Equanimity is not a word I use but I think I do practice it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equanimity

evenness of mind especially under stress <nothing could disturb his equanimity>